The Great Influenza

The Great Influenza (2004) is the authoritative history of the 1918 influenza pandemic, estimated to have killed 5 percent of the world’s total human population. Author John M. Barry examines the scientific, social, and political context of the pandemic, questioning the extent to which human error and willful ignorance worsened the terrible consequences of the disease. Coming right on the heels of World War I, the pandemic changed the course of history in ways too numerous, and impactful, to fully reckon with – until now.

John M. Barry is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have won dozens of awards. In his writing, he examines the history of public policy and science, and how the two have frequently come together to wreak havoc. Though not a scientist, he has advised both the Bush and Obama administrations on flu preparedness and has delivered a keynote address at the National Academies of Sciences on pandemic influenza.